Friday, August 16, 2013

Good Days Are Worth Remembering {Wednesday was a GREAT DAY}

Wednesday was a good day.  Here's what I wrote about it on Wednesday.


We went up Thursday to take a look.  Here is our lovely downstairs.

It's been a good day. On Tuesday we had a staging company stage our house that is for sale and it looks awesome! The stager sent me a photo stream of pictures from the work she did at our home. I was just blown away. I have never seen our house look so great.  It makes me want to live there again. Today those pictures will make it to the website where our house is advertised on line! I am really hoping that it drives new people to come up and take a look. Our realtor has also committed to holding an open house where it will be advertised in advance.

But there's another reason why today is so good. This morning I received an email stating that I was accepted to hang a show of my photography at a local public gallery. I submitted a proposal in early August.  It went before a committee and they chose me. That feels like a step in a very good direction.

Wait, there is more. It was a lovely day in Colorado where the temperature only hit the low 80's and with a bit of wind.  In the shade with a cool breeze it feels mid 70's.  A great day to picnic.  So, we got sandwiches from a local deli and decided to tail gate in the parking lot of the school with my mother who was visiting and my husband who met us there with his big truck and a cushy camping insert in the covered flatbed.  Don't worry, we had another reason to be there.  We also attended an open house.  Si will be going to a Montessori pre-school this fall. Today we met all three of his teachers.  That's right.  Three teachers in one classroom. . . and they were lovely. To top it off, we also visited a splash park afterward where the boys got to play around in fountains of water. They fell asleep on the way home- Heaven.

I just can't remember having so many positive memorable things happening all in one day. What a blessing.  It was great!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Why Working Out Matters & A Pledge Part Two

Part of my pledge was fulfilled.   Not only did I accomplish working out for 15 minutes a day for 30 days, I did it for 60!  There was definitely visible results.  The weather warmed up and I took my exercise habit outside.  That has been even more successful. 

I've had a rough year.  You see my step father passed away this spring.  He was suffering from a variety of conditions for years but was diagnosed with cancer in March.  The cancer was aggressive and he died only three weeks later.  I traveled to my mother's home and spent a good deal of time with her. My saving grace was running.  I had added a couch25K app on my phone in October of 2012 but was having a difficult time using it mostly because of feelings of being overwhelmed with two children to care for and feeling like there was no time for myself.  It was more like I was not giving any time to myself.  But when the pressure of death or at least dealing with it came knocking in March and April, I opened the Couch25K app again and set to work.  During the three weeks I stayed with my mom I was very consistent. But . . .

I. was. so. slow. . .
At first.
 
I did what the app said.  I ran when it told me to.  And I gladly walked when I was told.
It was hard.  Thank God I had kept the app on my phone.  There I was in April stressing and with a commitment to work out as well as a good memory reminding me that working out feels good. My mother was glad to watch the boys.

In the end, running as well as my desire to free myself of stress, sadness, and fatigue took me all the way through the spring into early summer and a second tragic family loss of a dear uncle who also lost his life to cancer in July.  It was sad friends.  Just sad.

I didn't even notice when I finished up the 12 week program until after a run one day in July.  It was a run 28 minutes long and over 3 miles.  Since then I stopped using Couch25K and switched over to the runkeeper app. Now I run for about 30-40 min.  And it feels AWESOME.

My pledge now is to stick with the running.  More importantly my pledge to myself is to remember how pushing hard during the run will pay off in ease of stress when I finish and even last for a day or two.  I can't run every day.  My two boys, husband and house and food prep and laundry and errands etc. . . . take so much time.  I am very okay with that.

I also I learned that I know that I don't want to run with my kids!  I REALLY don't want that.  I would still love some adult lady friends to run with and I am still working those details out.  {More on both of those points in the future.}

Right now running is just for me.  That That's what it has to be.  That is how I like it.  And that is how it is special and personal and a gift for me.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Illustrated

Silas is helping ... or at least he is keeping me company.  

The entire time we were painting he was making a story about monsters and fires and monster  footprints.  There were explosions and battles.  In the end the good guys won.  I have to say his painting turned out lovely.

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

On a roll

I have been working on some illustrations. These are still in the beginning stages, but I think they are looking pretty good.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Why Working Out Matters and A Pledge to Find Other Moms to Enjoy the Workout With

source: Skinnymom.com
We have had an Xbox for a number of years.  We bought the Kinect in fall of 2010.  My husband played lots of fun games but then I found Yourself Fitness. We did not begin to play with it right away but in the last few months we have really started to USE it. 

Here's the fun part. We started liking it.  The Fitness game I mean.  REALLY liking it.  Well, not so much the game... but the feeling.  The feeling that working out has on us.  For a while when either of us worked out it seemed like a it was something that we made ourselves do because we felt like we should... but then we began to realize that it really did something to our day.  It really started it up each of our day.

I had lamented to a friend months ago that I wanted to be sporty.  Actually I wanted to be more like her family.  She is an old high school cross country running friend of mine.  Her husband is also a runner and they have one child a bit younger than my oldest.  They still participate in Running, Biking, Hiking etc.  Why can't I do this, I thought.  I've done it before!  But now I just couldn't - I thought- not with 2 kids!  Where oh where was the time!!!???  I thought she had a secret. She only kind of did.

In my old life with one child (spring 2010), I had joined a hiking group for moms, Colorado Mountain Mamas, where we would hike with babies on our backs for miles.  It was great.  I met two people that I stayed in contact with.  Our kids were roughly the same age.  Fast forward:  I left the country again to live abroad for almost a year, and then returned to Colorado and resettled in a different area of Denver.  I was pregnant.  After the baby, and during my pregnancy I had a really hard time keeping up with my old hiking pals but I never lost sight of them on Facebook.  Here were some other friends who were staying fit and gaining/building a friendship doing it.  How?  

OK full circle now... Remember when I revealed to you that I discovered that working out felt so good?  Well coincidentally my prior Colorado hiking pal had started a blog about that same thing.  The feeling of being active- the addiction to the feeling... AND SHE WAS WORKING OUT WITH -wait for it- 2 KIDS in tow!  That's right! Both of my hiking pals each had a second child too!  Their second babies are both older than my second guy.  Except they were still getting together to work out...

Another coincidence was that I had just said to my husband a few weeks ago how I wish there was a MOPs group that didn't meet inside and have speakers and do crafts (For the record I really enjoy my MOPs group that has speakers and crafts!)... I wanted another MOPs group who worked out and played together.  My Colorado blogging hiking buddy who was working out with girlfriends started a blog that revealed the workouts she was doing with her moms workout group....  So strange that this all happened.  So, it's possible.  I AM motivated to have that.  We live in different areas of the city and it is unlikely that I will be a part of their group but I love that this is doable.  I love that she is blogging about it.  I love that moms with kids at home DO THIS.  They do!  Really.  I love that it can be done.  So I am doing it.
source: Shape.com

To start, I decided to do a workout I saw on Shape.  If you ever want to print a work out or just look at all the parts of their routine just click the print button and you will be given a page with all the photos and directions right on it... no more clicking through each piece.  I printed up this routine to help with my abdominal diastasis.

Here is the routine: Sculpt Bikini-Ready Abs Under Your Sweater

I do have "before" pictures.
I am not going to post them now.  It's just a little embarrassing to be honest.  But maybe after I complete my pledge I will be so proud I'll post...

************************
I am about to make a pledge. 
15 minutes a day for 30 days. 

I will work out for (at least) 15 minutes a day for 30 days. (I already have 5 down.)

In 60 days I will have a group of 3 ladies in my area of Denver to join my team!

Word.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Hawaiian Style Pizza with Whole Wheat Crust- Recipe

I make Pizza almost every week.  I have been for years so I almost forget that I make it.  It is pretty good pizza if I do so say myself.  There is a secret.  If you don't already have one run out and get yourself one of those pizza stones.  Flat with no standing edge is the best.  I prefer circle since I make my pie on a wooden peel.  If you have a stone you at least have a shot at making great crust!  Here is my recipe for whole wheat crust; a standing favorite at our house.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup hot tap water
3 teaspoons of yeast
1 Tablespoon of Honey

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil + extra for oiling the dough

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 3/4 Cups White Flour
1 Tablespoon of Kosher Salt

To Prepare the Dough:
Start by getting your water set up. I like to use a large Pyrex measuring cup and filling up with hot tap water to the 1 2/3 mark.  I spoon in 3 teaspoons of yeast and use a spoon to stir it up a bit.  Add the honey and let the mixture sit while you prepare the rest.

In your Kitchen Aid Mixer bowl add the flour and salt.  When measuring flour always scoop the flour and pour it into the measuring cup you will be measuring.  That will ensure a proper amount without compacting the flour.  If you scoop your flour up you will compress it and over do it in the process.  I learned that trick from my mom years ago.  If you have a scale you can always measure your flour by weight and you'll never be off- like my scientist father-in-law.... that's just wayyy to much work for me now.

OK so now add the olive oil to the frothy yeast, honey and water mixture.  Stir and turn on the Kitchen Aid Mixer with the dough hook attachment.  While it's running on l or 2 add the liquid mixture.  Let it go around a bit but then stop it and scrape up the bottom where all the dry flour will be waiting.  Turn it back on and allow it to knead the dough for 10 min- set the timer.

After 10 minutes go and scrape down the sides again and turn it over inside the bowl.  Remove the bowl from the base.  Pour about 1- 2 Tablespoons of oil around the inside edge of the bowl near the dough and turn the dough with a rubber spatula until it is all coated with oil.  Take a large plate and cover the bowl and let it sit in for about 30 min.  After 30 minutes or so it should have risen.  Punch it down and let it rise again for about 10- 30 minutes.  Now you can begin to prepare the pizza.

If you don't have a Kitchen Aid Mixer you will need to spend 10 minutes kneading the dough by hand.  Follow the directions as above after that.

To Prepare Pizza
Preheat the oven to 450°F with the pizza stone inside.  You want to preheat that stone so that it begins to cook your dough right away.  Do not start to prepare the dough and toppings until you are sure that the oven will be 450°F  and you can pop the pizza in as soon as you are finished preparing.  I have made the mistake of heating my oven after the preparation of the pizza and it is a terrible mess!  The dough likes to stick to the wooden peel.  I will teach you how to avoid that.  But to start: make sure your oven is finished preheating or very close to finished before rolling out the dough!

Since I use whole wheat flour I also use it for dusting the surfaces.  It is a good way to keep the wooden peel dry so the dough does not stick.  You can use cornmeal too but I don't like the cornmeal mixing in with the dough so I don't use it. (My favorite store whole wheat flour is High Altitude Hungarian Whole Wheat.)

My recipe makes a good amount of dough.  You can use all the dough and get a thick crust or you can halve it and get a nice reasonable crust.  If you want it thinner, I'm not sure if my non stick technique will work for you so you'll have to write me and teach me how to do it... :-) Seriously- if you make it thinner please tell me your technique! ;-)

Punch down the dough.  Spread about a 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour on your wooden peel.  Take the dough and roll it around to coat it with the extra whole wheat flour and re-spread the remaining flour.  Make sure you have good dusty coverage under your dough by gently picking it up as you roll it out to make sure you can visibly see loose flour.  Use a roller like this one (my favorite) to spread it out.  Once the dough is as big as you want it and not larger than your stone in the oven you are ready for ingredients.

Hawaiian Style Ingredients are pretty easy
We use Ragu Homestyle Pizza sauce, part skim Mozzarella and then go for it.  Here is some cut up ham steak and Dole pineapple chunks cut in half again.  Just put on toppings after the sauce and cheese.
Hey!  Who's stealing the cheese!


How To deliver the pizza to the oven
Pull out the rack with the heated stone, use a spatula to get the crust moving on the peel toward the stone.  Get the lip of the crust to lay at the outer edge of the stone and once that happens you can coax the rest with your spatula or if it is dusted well you can slowly and gently shake the pizza pie right off your peel on to the stone.
 
Easy Does it!  Tip that peel!
Moving right along... give the dough a nudge with your spatula.  Good thing you have a dry peel!
And done! Whew!  It's all in the wrist!

Bake for 7 -10 minutes!  Remove the stone from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool and your crust will continue to cook.  If you like your crust softer then use your wooden peel to remove the pizza from the oven.  Allow the pizza to cool for about 5 or more minutes regardless.  It will reduce the amout of cheese loss from too much melt-y-ness...

And YUMMMMMMMM

WARNING: This takes practice!  Don't get discouraged.  Make it again next week or tomorrow.  Fold it over on itself and make a pizza pocket if you must but keep at it!  Your friends and/or your spouse and children will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE you when you become an expert.  I can tell you that's the truth from my own personal experience.  I can't tell you how many friends and family have told me I could open a restaurant.  But it is {shhh} SO EASY!  It is all just technique.  Once you get that down- with practice- you will be a pizza star!

xo Jessica

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

My Birthday Wish List- 5 Things to Make me Smile :-)

My birthday is in the middle of the month.  Here are five things I think would be fun for a birthday gift.  Any of these are something I might just buy even if it weren't my birthday since they are all reasonably priced.

1.Wacom Bamboo Splash Pen Tablet, 2.Blog Design Love e-course, 3.Smartwool socks "Margarita", 4. Smartwool socks "PhD outdoor ultra light mini" 5. C9 Sweats

Also, this is my first product collage done in Photoshop.  It was pretty fun putting this together.  I think this is a neat way to display all sorts of stuff.

Do you have any of these products already?  Have you taken the e-course from A Beautiful Mess?